1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to towable devices for travel in a body of water and, more particularly, the invention relates to a human controlled towable device that may be maneuvered on and below the water surface.
2. Description of Related Technology
A variety of well known human controlled towable water sport devices such as water skis, knee boards, inflatable rafts, inner tubes, etc. are commonly used by water sports enthusiasts to travel at a relatively high speed on the surface of a body of water such as a river, a lake, an ocean, etc. Some of these water sport devices, such as inflatable rafts and inner tubes, are pulled over the water surface by a power boat using a towline such as a rope, cable, etc. that is connected between the water sport device and the power boat, while other water sport devices, such as water skis and knee boards, require the operator (i.e., the person using the water sport device) to fasten themselves to the water sport device via a boot, strap, etc. and to grasp a handle attached to one end of a towline that is pulled by a power boat.
The operator of the above-noted commonly available water sport devices may influence or control the lateral movement of some types of water sport devices on the water surface by adjusting the attitude of their body with respect to the orientation of the water sport device, the towline, etc. and/or by changing the heading of the water sport device relative to the heading of the power boat that is pulling the water sport device. For example, by leaning to one side of the water sport device being towed and/or by forcing the heading of the water sport device to rotate toward that same side, the operator may cause the water sport device to move laterally toward that side. Of course, such operator controlled lateral motion of the water sport device works well with water sport devices such as skis and knee boards that have an oblong footprint and relatively flat or thin profiles. On the other hand, the lateral motion of a water sport device such as, for example, an inner tube, may be very difficult, if not impossible, for the operator to control via body orientation and/or orientation of the water sport device with respect to the power boat, the surface of the water, etc. While many of the above-noted towable water sport devices may enable an operator to exert limited control over the manner in which the water sport device travels on the water surface, none of these commonly available water sport devices enables an operator to travel and maneuver below the surface of the water.
A number of technologies are currently available that enable human subsurface travel through a body of water (i.e., underwater travel). For example, snorkeling equipment enables underwater travel for short periods of time and self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA), bathyspheres, bathyscaphs, etc. enable humans to travel underwater for extended periods of time. In the case of SCUBA and snorkeling equipment, an operator may also choose to use an aquascooter, which is a self-contained propulsion unit, to increase the speed of their underwater travel. However, none of the above-mentioned currently available subsurface or underwater travel devices are designed to be towed by a vehicle or water craft such as a power boat, sail boat, etc.
One known towable board for underwater swimming and riding on the surface of a body of water is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,939 to Salvadores. The towable board disclosed by Salvadores has a substantially unitary and planar body that includes a pair of wing-shaped lobes, which are symmetrically disposed on opposing sides of a central axis of the towable board. The towable board further includes a pair of fins, each of which extends perpendicularly from a bottom surface of a respective one of the wing-shaped lobes. In operation, the towable board disclosed by Salvadores is pulled by a power boat via a towline while an operator grips the towable board using a pair of slot-shaped openings that extend through the towable board adjacent to the leading edge of each of the wing-shaped lobes. The operator may maneuver the towable board by rotating the board about an axis perpendicular to the water surface, thereby causing the fins to travel through the water at an angle with respect to the heading of the towline, which results in a lateral motion of the towable board in the direction of the rotation. To submerse the towable board or to change the depth at which the towable board is moving, the operator may push downward on the leading edges of the wing-shaped lobes using the slot-shaped openings in the towable board.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a device for use in water surface and subsurface travel may include a towbar having first and second end portions and a first control member rotatably coupled to the towbar adjacent to the first end portion. The first control member may have a first control surface and a second control surface opposite the first control surface. The device may further include a second control member rotatably coupled to the towbar adjacent to the second end portion and spaced from the first control member. The second control member may have a third control surface and a fourth control surface opposite the third control surface. The device may further include first and second grips spaced apart and fixed to the towbar between the first and second control members so that rotation of the first and second grips about a longitudinal axis of the towbar causes the first and second control members to rotate about the longitudinal axis of the towbar. Additionally, a towline connector may be fixed to the towbar between the first and second grips.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a device for use in water surface and subsurface travel may include a towbar having a longitudinal axis and a first control member rotatably coupled to the towbar. The first control member may be rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the towbar and the device may include a second control member that is rotatably coupled to the towbar. The second control member may be rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the towbar independently from the first control member. Additionally, the device may include a connector fixed to the towbar for connecting the towbar to a towline.